news ST. PAUL -- Tim Pawlenty could get his wish to join a national ticket in the next few days.
Although Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he has not decided on a running mate, outside speculation puts the former Minnesota governor at the top of the list.
Worthington, 56187

Worthington Minnesota 300 11th Street / P.O. Box 639 56187

2013-07-11 16:15:14

ST. PAUL -- Tim Pawlenty could get his wish to join a national ticket in the next few days.

Although Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he has not decided on a running mate, outside speculation puts the former Minnesota governor at the top of the list. And when a politician receives that much attention, critics surface.

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Chris Moody of Yahoo News wrote a lengthy piece outlining three areas where the would-be vice presidential candidate is vulnerable.

Even most Minnesotans may not remember them:

* While in the Minnesota House, Pawlenty served on the board of a corporation whose subsidiary was charged with scamming customers.

* Pawlenty's first gubernatorial campaign had to pay $600,000 in fines for improper coordination with the state party.

The first charge Moody said Democrats probably will use against Pawlenty stems from when he was on the NewTel board of directors and the company bought New Access Communications. New Access was investigated in several states for scamming customers.

As a new governor, Pawlenty invited reporters into a conference room in 2003 and talked to them in depth about the situation, leaving as a bottom line he never was informed of New Access problems.

On the campaign violation, Pawlenty again went public soon after the allegations surfaced and his campaign paid the penalties.

On the third incident, Pawlenty successfully distanced himself from his treasurer, saying the campaign and the treasurer's private business were separate.

None of the three incidents appeared to hurt him in Minnesota.

Pawlenty ran for president last year, ending the campaign nearly a year ago, and finished No. 2 as John McCain's running mate four years ago.

Cities demand attention

Newly drawn legislative districts that reflect population movements within Minnesota give more power to suburbs in next year's Legislature, but mayors from outside the Twin Cities area pledge to keep their communities' needs at the top of lawmakers' priority lists.

Leaders of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities said property tax increases especially hit the 80 communities they serve.

"Property tax increases are crippling our homeowners, businesses and farms, and greater Minnesota is being hit twice as hard as the metro area," said Worthington Mayor Alan Oberloh, who just left as coalition president.

The mayor was tough on the Republican-controlled Legislature: "Citizens in greater Minnesota have had it with the Legislature focused on constitutional amendments and whatever happens to be the talk radio issue of the day."

The new coalition president said the group also will push for economic development initiatives, such as training programs and tax credits for investing in greater Minnesota businesses.

"These programs are working in our neighboring states, and they will work here," Cloquet Mayor Bruce Ahlgren said.

Looking at Ritchie

Sen. Mike Parry continues his investigation into Secretary of State Mark Ritchie for what the Waseca Republican said is a violation of his duty as Minnesota's chief elections officer.

Parry wants the Senate Rules Committee to approve issuing subpoenas requiring Ritchie and Attorney General Lori Swanson to appear in front of his committee. He also said he is looking into whether the Legislature can impeach Ritchie.

The issue upsetting Parry is Democrat Ritchie rewriting titles of two Republican-backed constitutional amendment proposals. Republicans said the new titles are meant to mislead voters, but Ritchie said state law requires him to write the titles.

Swanson is involved because her office approved Ritchie's new titles.

Ritchie and Swanson were no-shows at a July 20 committee hearing Parry called on the matter, but he wants to hear from them at a future meeting.

Parry said he wants to make sure Ritchie is not campaigning against the amendments, something he called improper for the person who runs the state's elections.

Drought information

Parts of Minnesota remain in a drought, even though other areas have seen too much water.

For the dry areas, the Minnesota Agriculture Department opened a new Web page at www.mda.state.mn.us/drought. It has links to resources farmers can use to deal with the drought.

Bond decision coming

Gov. Mark Dayton said the Department of Employment and Economic Development will hand him by Aug. 15 recommendations for spending $47.5 million on public works projects.

The funds, to be raised by the state selling bonds, attracted communities across the state to submit 90 proposals worth nearly $290 million.

Dayton said he will have final say on what projects are funded, but did not say how long he will take to decide once he has the department's recommendations.

'Understand mini-med'

Limited medical insurance plans known as "mini-med plans" may not offer protection Minnesotans expect, the state commerce commissioner said.

Mini-med plans are bare-bones policies that pay less than normal insurance.

"Insurance is an important way to minimize risk and protect yourself, but it is important to understand the product before you buy," Commissioner Mike Rothman said. "Limited medical benefit Insurance is not the same as comprehensive health insurance and should not be considered a substitute."

Prettner Solon re-elected

Lt. Gov. Yvonne Prettner Solon will serve another term on the National Lieutenant Governors' Association Executive Council.

She re-elected unanimously to serve as the Midwest Region, Democrat-at-large member.

'Ban the tar'

Coal tar-based pavement sealers should be avoided, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said, because chemicals they contain may cause human cancer and harm fish and other aquatic life.

State agencies are not allowed to use the coal tar product and more than 20 cities have banned its use. The agency now is asking schools to stop using it.

Signing cheap

Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton looked at Republican legislators at a ceremonial bill signing the other day, and it hit him that those GOP folks prefer tight purse strings.

"These are very inexpensive pens," he said, holding up one of the pens he then used to put ink on the document.

Family feud

Headlines like this are not often, if ever, seen in a race between two candidates of the same party: "Allen Quist's pants on fire."

The headline came on a Mike Parry news release in the U.S. House primary election race in southern Minnesota between Republicans Parry and Quist. The race for the Aug. 14 primary has become the hottest in Minnesota, with accusations ranging from who has voted to raise taxes to whether Quist years ago investigated an adult shop in disguise.

Don Davis has been the Forum Communications Minnesota Capitol Bureau chief since 2001, covering state government and politics for two dozen newspapers in the state. Don also blogs at Capital Chatter on Areavoices.